


Standing Still

by Miranda_tries_their_best



Series: Lost and Found - Zombie AU [5]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Character Death, Light Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Other, Roman being surprisingly calm, Roman is soft and sad and I love writing him tbh, They ain't actually dead tho so, Zombie Apocalypse, but probably not in a healthy way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-19 13:35:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22111705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miranda_tries_their_best/pseuds/Miranda_tries_their_best
Summary: "Perhaps we should stop."Roman glances at his friend before returning his gaze to the road. "We still have a bit of daylight left, I can go longer.""No." Logan sighs, Roman can see the nerd rubbing his face in his peripheral. "I mean stop. Completely. Find somewhere to stay and just... Stay.""I never thought I'd hear the day where you canceled your plan." Roman chuckles. The joke is weak, not his best work."We're missing two important factors of that plan." The pause after that is long as neither of them wanting to acknowledge their loss. "We need a new plan."
Relationships: Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Logic | Logan Sanders
Series: Lost and Found - Zombie AU [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1410031
Comments: 18
Kudos: 74





	Standing Still

Roman, at this point, only knew how to keep moving forward.

He's gotten so used to the heavy weight that held his shoulders down and dragged along behind him everywhere he went. At times it seemed lighter, when he accepted Virgil as a friend he was able to share some of the load of protecting the others, it felt like he finally had a shield to help block the incoming blows. When Patton smiled like a beacon of light in the carnage that surrounded them it gave the princely teen the strength to stand up and keep going, to keep fighting.

But his beacon and his shield were gone, lost to the plague that's already ripped so much from every surviving person.

Roman glanced beside him at Logan, the spectacle clad boy was his North Star; The one that guided him through the night and stood ever so brightly in the sky with a bird's eye view on every situation.

His light was fading though. The other boy stared blankly out the window of the truck Roman had managed to obtain, watching the scenery pass by. Logan didn't say anything when Roman hot wired it, both of them ignored the fact that the vehicle was too well maintained to truly be abandoned. Especially when it still had a half-full tank of gas and bottles of dirty water tucked in the cramped back seats.

It's not like Patton was there to try and steer them away from stealing.

Steer, ha... Because they're driving...

The silence was starting to drive Roman insane. Drive, another good pun he can't voice because Patton's gone and Logan constantly looks like he's holding on by a thread that's on the verge of snapping.

Or Virge of snapping. That would be a good one too if they hadn't left Virgil to die, sick and alone.

Roman lets out a shaky sigh and pulls the truck over to the side of the road, turning off the vehicle off so he doesn't waste gas while he takes a moment to wallow. Apparently, trying to ignore the problem with shitty puns doesn't work as well without Patton around to fire even shittier puns back at him.

In the corner of his eye he sees Logan turn his head, maybe looking at him with that stupidly endearing confused look the nerd gets but the dramatic teen shuts his eyes and rests his forehead on the top of the steering wheel. It's more likely that his friend is looking at him with that despairing lost look, the one that gives away that Logan already knows how strung out Roman is. It's a stupid look that the nerd seems to be having all the time lately.

Roman feels a warm hand rest on his shoulder but can't make himself move, just trying to focus on his breathing for the moment and not how he can feel the cracks growing in his resolve. His hands and chest physically ache with heartbreak but he needs to push it down, at least until they can get somewhere safer. The teen knows that he's going to sink like a boat lost at sea when everything catches up to him, this numb ache is just the dark clouds on the horizon looming over him, taunting him with the knowledge that no matter how fast he sails that he won't escape the storm.

He's accepted it but he can't shatter apart just yet, not while they just had the first stroke of luck that they've had in months with this vehicle, not while they're out on the open road, surrounded by open fields and certainly not while Logan's starlight can view his inevitable crash with dangerous waves.

That doesn't stop the burning in his eyes like harsh rain or the way the princely teen's breath starts shaking like howling winds. It doesn't stop his hands from gripping the steering wheel like it's the only lifeline he has as the boat beneath him rocks violently to knock him off his feet all while desperately he's trying to steer through wave after wave of dread and hopelessness.

"Roman-" Logan's voice interrupts his metaphorical storm. "It's- Just breathe. Roman, come here." The thespian glances to the side to watch Logan struggle out of his seat belt and scoot into the middle seat. "I'm still here." The spectacled teen promises.

But for how long?

It's morbid and makes Roman feels sick but he prays that he dies before Logan does. Logan knows how to plan, understands that things can get better if he keeps moving forward.

Roman doesn't know how to be alone.

The whine that escapes Roman's throat sounds more like a wounded dog than a person.

That's the last sound from either of them for a long time, Roman sits silently with his head on Logan's shoulder as silent tears soak his friend's shirt. The dramatic teen wants to say something, break this silence and bicker like they use to. He wants Virgil to hiss at them to shut up because they're arguing too loud about cartoons they can barely remember. He wants Logan to complain about how said shows were stupid and never followed logic only to get flustered when Patton reminds him that Logan cried during Lion King like the rest of them.

But it's just quiet.

And before they know it, Roman has calmed down enough to drive again. Logan stays in the middle seat though, his side pressed against Roman's to keep some level of comfort between the two.

It's almost dusk when the silence between the two is broken.

"Perhaps we should stop."

Roman glances at his friend before returning his gaze to the road. "We still have a bit of daylight left, I can go longer."

"No." Logan sighs, Roman can see the nerd rubbing his face in his peripheral. "I mean stop. Completely. Find somewhere to stay and just... Stay."

"I never thought I'd hear the day where you canceled your plan." Roman chuckles. The joke is weak, not his best work.

"We're missing two important factors of that plan." The pause after that is long as neither of them wanting to acknowledge their loss. "We need a new plan."

"Alright, Galaxy Brain. What's your new plan?"

Then Logan smiles, it's small but it's enough to light up Roman's sky. "Ah, just what I was hoping you would ask."

* * *

Step one was easy. After resting the night they're on the move again and by the time its noon, they've hit a more forested area. It provided more cover then the fields did and though it had a risk of them being snuck upon, it also had natural foraging that Logan was excited to teach.

Roman couldn't even find it in him to tease his little geek for it, not when the nerd's eyes light up whenever Roman guessed the correct plant.

The second step was harder, on both of them. Roman stood beside the now abandoned truck. They've scouted out a little town if he could even be called that, the turn off the highway was barely recognizable if they weren't looking for something like this and there's only a handful of houses on a single street.

Overall, they only spotted two undead on the road and now Roman had to wait with growing anxiety as Logan searched through the last house as the princely teen kept an eye on the highway just in case. Roman should really be in there instead but he's still recovering from a concussion and he barely managed to convince Logan to let him drive because of it.

(The fact that Logan never actually learned how to drive helped his argument. The fact that Logan also was silent and too exhausted to do much helped too but in a more depressing way.)

It's a breath of fresh air when Logan finally emerges from the house, unscathed and rushing towards him while carrying a-

"Is that a paint can?"

Logan pauses a few feet away, suddenly looking bashful. "Yes, it's a little... Well, a lot of it is dried up but we should have enough to make a sign or... Something."

"Make a sign?" Roman laughed at the idea. "Sure, we can make it say "Welcome to Gay Town, population: Two Bros, chilling in a-"

"It's for Patton!" Logan shouts, cutting the other teen off with a glare.

"Oh." The mood is suddenly dead(Ha.) Roman feels his throat tighten as everything he's been shoving down just springs out like a jack in the box. "I-"

"What?" Logan's defensive tone cuts him off once more. "Did you already forget?" Words sharp like knives cut into the dramatic boy's heart.

"Of course not." Logan's the one who's already so convinced that their puffball is dead but Roman bites his tongue and keeps his voice soft. "Making a sign for him is- it's a great idea, Legos."

Logan immediately deflates, setting the can down and running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, Roman. I didn't mean to snap, I just..." The glasses clad boy trails off, staring at the ground with a pained expression that Roman has grown accustomed to. "Maybe we shouldn't bother, it's unlikely he'll be able to find us even if..."

"It's okay, Lo." The teen tries but his friend shakes his head, rushing forward to embrace him.

"I shouldn't get- It's not your fault," Logan mumbles against his shoulder. "When did you become the calm one?"

Roman only snickers quietly, putting a hand on the back of the nerd's neck to keep him close. "Well, someone needed to start picking up the slack." He teases. "Trust me though, I'm a dormant volcano. Once everything calms down, I'm going to explode for no reason."

"Volcano's don't explode for no reason, they erupt from the building pressure of magma and gas bubbles-"

"Okay, nerd. Lecture me after our hug is done, it's just bro moment right now. No facts." The princely teen grins as he hears Logan huff at the interruption but ultimately accepts that neither of them is escaping this crushing embrace just yet.

Roman certainly can't complain.

**Author's Note:**

> Next up should be Virgil again? Maybe?? My idea's for his chapter are all over the place so like...
> 
> Anyway, tell me. Should Virgil find Patton and Deceit first or Logan and Roman? because I can go either way
> 
> edit: or should Patton and Dee find Ro and Lo? like, Virgil's probably not going to find anyone in the next chapter anyway


End file.
